“So then, let us pursue what promotes peace and what builds up one another. “(Romans 14:19)
 
The past few months have been filled with whose policy is right or wrong. There have been people getting into fights because they want a particular candidate to win. Some friends no longer talk to each because of viewpoints of government policies. However, it is not about right or wrong but what builds another person up and promotes peace.

To build something there must be a firm foundation for many of us it involves who we are this is formed by our world view. Our world view encompasses how the world works based on our background from growing up and our lived experiences. During our lifetime we might face injustices: racial, poverty, healthcare, immigration it matters how we respond. There are ways we can contribute to aid to fight against these injustices we do not need to wait four years for an election year. The focus should be towards peace and bringing people together.

Often, many individuals think they have nothing to contribute but, we all have gifts and talents. Our talents may be different from someone else but, that is the beauty of community we can all contribute by bringing something different to the table.  What promotes peace is working together for a common good. Jesus is known as the Prince of Peace he is the ultimate promoter of providing peace so that we might come into a right relationship with God.  

Not only are we to promote peace build another person up. This can be done by small and large gestures such as having a conversation, smiling, and even saying an encouraging word.

Heavenly Father, thank you for Jesus who is the ultimate idea of peace, during the next few days may we seek to promote peace and build one another up even when times are hard.
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Praying for you,
Stacy Watkins

“Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen.”
Hebrews 11:1

Today it is hard to believe when something happens. We rarely take anything on just someone’s word. If my friend says they can deadlift 300 lbs, we want them to prove it. If our kids learned their first word we try and make sure they say it again so there is proof they know the word. Your aunt’s banana pudding is the best. The proof is in the pudding. There is a lack of trust since we must prove everything.

The definition of faith is what is hoped for but, a proof that is unseen. It is a reality of what you have hoped for there is a conviction, of what is not real but is true. It is not wishful thinking “I hope this is going to happen” but a firm conviction that what you have hoped for will happen.

In Indiana Jones the Last Crusade Indiana is told he needs to take a leap of faith. There is a point where he is looking into a chasm and is terrified since he cannot see the bottom. It looks like if he takes the step he will fall to his death. He instead takes a step of faith and steppingstones appear beneath his feet. It gives a great picture of faith. To take a step when we think it will lead to our death but, have faith that there are stones underneath our feet even when we cannot see them.

God calls us to have this kind of faith. Although, we cannot see Jesus we believe in him. We believe in Jesus, not like a blind leap of faith in the dark but, because we have a reason too. He died on the cross so that we can have a relationship with God. Restore our relationships with each other. To set us free from any sin that we are facing. Faith in Christ is a firm foundation. For he is the true definition of faith.
                 
Heavenly Farther, God it is hard to live by faith. Help me to live by faith today, to live with an assurance and conviction, confidence in you and your word.

Praying for you,
Stacy Watkins

“…So, guard yourselves in your spirit, and do not be faithless.”
 (Malachi 2:16)
 
This can also be read as if you do not guard yourself in your spirit, we will grow faithless. Being faithful does not come naturally to people. It is even harder to be faithful to people. Often, our feelings can get hurt when we are overlooked for promotions, let down from something, and even being told no because someone thinks we are limited because of our capabilities. During, these times we can look for an easy way out this may be finding a different vocation, stop attending functions, and even avoiding people. This is the easy way out.

The hard way is being faithful even when it is hard. Many of us have heard the saying “When the going gets tough, the tough get going” it is a choice to lean into your difficult situation and keep going. We can take the time to focus on what we need to do. We can ask our supervisors during our evaluations how we can improve at our vocations; we can discuss with our friends what is bothering us and how they may have hurt us. Instead of avoiding people we can make a further effort to get to know them. It will be difficult and uncomfortable at first.
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Guard your spirit for the adversary loves to use difficult days to rob us of our faith, destroy our faith, and strip us of our faith. Don’t let him instead, pray to God to give you even more faith during your hard seasons. Sing praises to God to build up your faith. Gather with friends that can speak encouragement and speak into your life. Build up your faith through reading and listening to scripture. Do not take the easy way out and become unfaithful but seek to be faithful by guarding your heart.
 
Heavenly Father, help me to be faithful in this situation. I know I would rather take the easy way out but, God, you called us to be faithful even in hard times. May, my spirit be guarded and continually renewed with your love during this time.
 
Struggling with you,
Stacy Watkins

“I will put this third through the fire; I will refine them as silver is refined and test them as gold is tested. They will call on my name, and I will answer them. I will say: They are my people, and they will say: The Lord is our God.” (Zechariah 13:9)
 
Here we are called to be refined as silver and tested as gold. These are both precious metals. Not many of us go and seek to be tested or refined since many of us do not want to face our own insecurities or even trials. Facing our own insecurities and trials puts us into a vulnerable position the parts of us that we do not want people to see are exposed. There are no possible ways to hide our flaws.

When we come to difficulties such as financial difficulties, losing a job, and relationship struggles often we complain against God about our situation and even lose our faith. It can be challenging to understand why a God who is proclaimed to be good to allow suffering and even put people through the fire. However, going through the fire often can bring about something good and beautiful. Rings are often put through fire to be refined and made beautiful. When we go through financial struggles and learn to budget money, we learn how to spend our money wisely. When we lose a job, we can get angry and choose not to work again. God has given you skills and abilities that you can use at different jobs. That one place is not the only place there may be something even better for you.

Refining by fire may not feel the greatest since you are going through a lot and sometimes there does not feel like a way out. Through the righteousness of Christ God has purged away our sins and made everyone who believes in Him pure.
 
Heavenly Father, Lord I do not see any way out of my current situation, but I know you have already given me the skills and abilities to be able to further my situation. God I cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel, but you can. May I continue to allow you to guide me each step of the way
 
Praying for you,
Stacy Watkins

Be silent before the Lord and wait expectantly for him; do not be agitated by one who prospers in his way, by the person who carries out evil plans. (Psalm 37:7)
 
The one thing that I do not like about ordering items online is the delivery. Yes, it might be faster than going to the store. However, have you ever got fixated on the delivery timeframe for something that you needed. Checking Amazon constantly for has it shipped, is it on its way, what time is it going to arrive. We wait expectantly for the passage to arrive especially when it gives us a time frame of when it will arrive.

I can expect for it to arrive it might not be the time that I want it to arrive. We are to wait on God and not worry about those who are doing evil. It can be difficult if we pick up the newspaper or any media we hear about war, violence, murder just chaos running around. Yet, God calls us to wait patiently this does not mean to sit idly and just watch the world unfold before our eyes. It means to bring all the concerns of your heart everything that you see taking place before him. Pray about it, seek him, wait on Him. He has seen all that takes place in the world and has assured us the destruction of evil.

It may be hard to wait on Him. There are times when we might want to take revenge and even matters into our own hands. This will only make it worse. God sees everything that is happening just wait on Him. Continue to wait expectantly on Him for everything takes places in his timing.
 
Lord, there is so much evil that prospers in the world sometimes it feels like evil keeps prospering over good. Though I may want to act I will seek you first and wait on you.
                 
Walking with you,
Stacy Watkins

“Yes, at that time I will deal with all who oppress you. I will save the lame and gather the outcasts; I will make those who were disgraced throughout the earth receive praise and fame.” (Zephaniah 3:19)
 
It is crazy that today you can be signaled out by the type of socks you wear. Apparently, ankle socks are no longer the hip thing to wear. I remember having crew socks and pulling them down to make it appear as if I was wearing ankle socks. It was a pretty genius tactic to fit in with the cool kids. We all may feel like outcasts at some point in our lives that we just do not simply belong. For some reason we feel like we stand out and not part of the group. It can be especially easy to feel as an outcast when we have impairments. We can start to doubt our own abilities and what we know we can do.

Often, we can feel shame because we feel like an outcast or do not fit in anywhere no matter how hard we try. Shame happens not because someone necessarily does something to us but, how we internalize a situation it can involve negative self-evaluation and not living up to certain standards making yourself believe that you are not worthy. It can be difficult to feel worthy when feeling like an outcast or dealing with shame.

Thankfully, God can change us. Although we may feel like an outcast or shameful, he brings us into families and healthy communities. You end up receiving praise and fame it might not include being a famous actor comparable to Harrison Ford, but you may become famous within your community. People will know you for what you have overcome and how you have grown. You may not receive praise from millions but, you will receive praise from those who are in your corner and especially God.
 
Heavenly Father, you replace shame with glory though I am struggling with sin help me to repent and rely on your Holy Spirit to change for the better.
 
Praying,
Stacy Watkins

“For I am doing something in your days that you will not believe when you hear about it.” (Habukkuk 1:5)
 

If you turn on the news today it always seems very negative majority of the media coverage includes possibility of war. Hurricanes take out power in cities. Companies are laying off hundreds of workers. Children are killed by their parents. There is a lot of injustice in the world that can make us question if there is a God? Or even why is God not intervening? Why is He allowing for all this to happen? We can get drained from negative circumstances and just want everything to be right in the world.  When devastating circumstances rock our lives, we can doubt God and what He is even doing.

God is not scared of our questions or our doubt. Instead, he gives us hope in hard times. Sometimes the plan that God is doing is completely unbelievable that we would not even believe it even if we tried. We can only see a part of the story and not the entire picture. God sees the entire picture and can work things together for good. God is working in our lives and in the world in ways what we could not imagine.

​It can feel like God is absent or not listening during these times, but he hears our cries and wants the best for us. God is bigger than any of our circumstances and can make a way when we see there is no way.  The situation may seem bleak but there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Your situation does not define who you are. You are worth more than your situation.
 
Heavenly Father, there is so much violence and negative circumstances in the world that I do not understand. It is hard to find hope when there is so much wrongdoing. But God, may I continue to trust in you for I know you are doing something completely unbelievable that I could not even imagine happening.
 
Praying,
Stacy Watkins

“The Lord is good, a stronghold in a day of distress; he cares for those who take refuge in him.” (Nahum 1:7)
 
Where do we go when there is trouble? In elementary school we practice occasionally, what to do when a fire happens, an earthquake happens, or any possible danger. Students knew where they can seek refuge who are the responders who are good that are there to help. The responders did not know us though they were simply there to do a job to make sure there was no fire, or no person who was not authorized to be there was not there. The teachers knew us at school so we could take refuge in them, but they did not know us completely. Some distresses we are not prepared for, and our lives are always dated before and after the event that happened. We can think back to prior when we could pack an entire lunch and even smoke on planes while now you can barely even bring water through security let alone even walk through security with shoes on.

In a day of distress, it is hard to think critically to think what to do next. When we are actively going through a traumatic event like a divorce, medical emergency, or anything that can cause us extreme anxiety, sorrow, or pain it can feel hard to know exactly what to do in the situation. Often, these situations can feel like they are personal attacks from God, and he does not care for us. However, this is not the case. God loves you; God is good, he cares for you, he knows what you’re going through and sees you. He desires for us to come to him with our problems to earnestly seek him. We can be assured that we can take refuge in him during our traumatic events. 
 
Heavenly Father, when I see no way out of my situation and feel like it is unbearable lord, I thank you that I can turn to you and know that I am loved by you. May I continue to seek you in my situation and find refuge in you.
 
Praying,
Stacy Watkins

Your arrogant heart has deceived you, you who live in clefts of the rock in your home on the heights, who say to yourself, “Who can bring me down to the ground”

It is way too easy to succumb to pride. To think that we are better than anyone else, we deserve something because of who we are, and even thinking that we are invincible no one can touch us. We never really know when we are struggling with pride because at the same time, we might get conflicting messages from friends saying “you do so much you deserve it” inflating each of our egos making us believe that we deserve something.

While in the military I did a lot of volunteer work at animal shelters, after school programs, and various activities my superiors wanted me to be recognized as junior sailor of the quarter. I was nominated several times and did not receive the award. By the second time I was nominated I had gotten it in my head that I deserve the award more than anyone because I was the only one who SHOULD be awarded this honor. I had let my ego dictate and say that I deserve to receive recognition, honor, and a plaque. I do not deserve any of it. For it is only through God that I can do the work.

It was pride that led me to believe that I should be awarded for the things that I loved doing. The wrong heart that believed that my friends who were also helping the community did not deserve to be recognized for their contributions and only I was worthy. Our hearts can deceive us and led us to believe that we are better than others, deserve more, and invincible. This is deceiving and not true. God is greater than any person on earth. No matter how great we may think we are God is greater. He can bring us down when we are filled with pride. Allow God to search your heart ask for help when needed, show you what your struggles are, and take steps forward to change.
 
Walking with you,
Stacy Watt

 
“And in the place where they were told: You are not my people, they will be called: Sons of the living God,”
 
Relationships can be difficult and often challenging to maintain. Many of us have friends that we no longer talk to or spend time with. Family members because of our life choices that are not good for us stop talking to us. The choices that we make can strain relationships pushing them to the point of nonexistence. The people closest to us, our own family, can decide that they no longer want to be around us or even that we do not belong apart of the family anymore. We have heard tragic words of “You are dead to me” or even “You are no longer my son or daughter.” Leaving many of us abandoned and alone and even feeling unloved.

Places can remind us of broken relationships the pain and the hurt that we once felt being torn from relationships that we once held dear to us in our hearts. For many of us we can avoid these places for years. The pain of returning can sometimes be unbearable.  However, the same place can bring redemption.
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God takes the places that can bring us anguish and heartache and instead can bring redemption. Although, family and friends may turn their backs on us and say “we are no longer family” or even “You are dead to me” there is a God who says that you are his son and daughter. There is a God who loves you even when you are reminded that those who are supposed to be closest to you blood relatives want nothing to do with you. God sees you and loves you declaring that you are his child and will never leave you.
 
Praying,
Stacy Watt